From helpers to vulnerable people: Consequences of the pandemic for older volunteers in an Italian study.

The Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the older population in many respects. One of the main consequences has been the strengthening of the dynamics of ageism. The research presented in this paper aims to investigate the consequences of the pandemic and the lockdown on the population of self-sufficient older citizens in a circumscribed area of Northern Italy, one of the territories that was affected the most by the pandemic. The research focuses on the conditions of people over 65 years who were carrying out voluntary work in various local organizations. Secondary analysis was conducted on data from a research carried out in a District of Northern Italy. The results of the study showed numerous consequences for this population group, suddenly driven to operate a profound shift in their routine. The main consequence was a transformation in their role: the volunteers were people whose helped other people and suddenly they found themselves labelled as fragile recipients of help. The paper examines how these conditions reinforce a stereotyped image of the elders and poses some possible strategies to counter it, with particular focus to the functions of social workers.